Court shuts the door on bail for SARS consultant accused of execution-style killings

Court shuts the door on bail for SARS consultant accused of execution-style killings

A Chatsworth courtroom fell silent on Wednesday as a magistrate delivered a firm message: the seriousness of the crime, the manner of the killings, and the public interest outweighed personal hardship.

Wasim Kudoos, a 33-year-old SARS tax consultant from Mobeni Heights, will remain behind bars after being denied bail on charges of murdering two men in what the court described as “marksman-like” executions.

If convicted, Kudoos faces life imprisonment on each count.

Two killings, one chilling pattern

According to the State, both victims were shot in the head, a detail that featured heavily in the magistrate’s reasoning.

The victims were identified as barber Mahmudel Sajid, 38, who was killed inside his salon in Bayview, and gardener Mzikayise Paulos Mabida, 54, who was shot in the driveway of Kudoos’s home. Both killings allegedly took place on October 8.

Magistrate S Chiliza said the method of the shootings suggested precision and intent, describing them as consistent with a “marksman” rather than a crime of impulse.

“This makes the applicant a dangerous person,” she told the court.

Why bail was refused

Because the matter falls under Schedule 6, Kudoos was required to prove exceptional circumstances to justify his release, a legal threshold reserved for the most serious offences.

The court found he failed to meet that standard.

While Kudoos argued that he was a caregiver to his mother, who has cancer, and that he had strong family and community ties in Durban, the magistrate ruled that these factors were not exceptional.

“These circumstances cannot be peculiar to the applicant,” Chiliza said, noting that he was accused of killing two people “in cold blood”.

Community outrage weighed heavily

The court also took into account public reaction to the case, including what the magistrate described as “noise from the community”.

The State submitted evidence showing widespread concern about the killings, arguing that releasing the accused would undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.

In a city grappling with violent crime, execution-style murders particularly those alleged to have taken place in everyday spaces like a home and a local barber shop tend to strike a deeper nerve.

Inconsistencies raised red flags

During cross-examination, the court noted that Kudoos struggled to answer key questions, often claiming he could not remember critical details.

This included how he was arrested and when he last handled his firearm.

The investigating officer, however, testified that Kudoos resisted arrest and became violent, requiring force to restrain him a version of events the court found troubling.

The State also argued that witnesses feared for their lives and that the accused posed a flight risk.

Mental fitness claim questioned

Adding to the court’s concerns was a shift in Kudoos’s legal strategy.

His defence initially raised questions about his mental fitness to stand trial, only to abandon that claim later. A district surgeon subsequently examined him and confirmed he was fit to stand trial.

Magistrate Chiliza questioned why the claim was raised and then withdrawn, especially in light of what the State said was a positive identification linking Kudoos to the crimes.

What happens next

State prosecutor Thamandri Kengan-Narainsamy confirmed that investigations are still ongoing.

While ballistic and gunshot residue test results have been received, further witness interviews and video footage analysis are still outstanding.

The case has been postponed to allow investigators to complete their work.

For now, the court’s position is clear: the interests of justice demand that the accused remain in custody as the case unfolds.

{Source: IOL}

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